A display device which includes a pixel unit in which a plurality of pixels are arranged in a matrix form and which controls the pixel unit in accordance with image information to be displayed to thereby display images is known. In recent years, a display device in which self-light-emitting devices (for example, organic EL (Electroluminescence) elements) are used in the pixel unit has attracted attention. In such a display device, pixel circuits including organic EL elements are arranged in a matrix form to form a display screen. However, since the organic EL element expresses a gradation by changing the amount of luminescence in accordance with image data to be displayed, the degree of deterioration of the organic EL element is different from one pixel circuit to another. Thus, with the elapse of time, a pixel in which the degree of deterioration is large and a pixel in which the degree of deterioration is small coexist on the display screen. In this case, a phenomenon (commonly known as burn-in) occurs in which a previously displayed image appears to remain on the display screen since the pixel in which the degree of deterioration is large becomes darker than the neighboring pixels.
In order to prevent such a burn-in phenomenon, a display device in which deterioration of a light-emitting device in which the degree of deterioration is small is caused to progress during a non-use period so that the degree of deterioration thereof becomes equal to that of a light-emitting device in which the degree of deterioration is large is proposed (for example, see JP-A-2008-176274).